Europe Daily News, 06 February 2026

COMPETITION

• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.12328 - Equitix / KKR / Planets)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.12336 - NDG / ADCG / Ascend Commerce)
• Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.12282 - Totalenergies / Repsol / Hitecvision / Neo Next JV)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.12230 - EIM / PDVH)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.12180 - Anglo American / Teck)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.12178 - Hangcha / Manitou / JV)
• Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.12273 - GIC Realty / Brookfield / NSR)
• Commission clears acquisition of SOCAR Terminal by STEAS and TISS (M.12206) - Midday Express
• Global Payments-Worldpay clearance decision published by the European Commission - Case M.12006
• Belgium - The Competition Authority addresses a statement of objections to the Raffinerie Tirlemontoise and its parent company Südzucker relating to a possible abuse of economic dependence towards sugar beet growers
• Czech Republic - The UoHS approved the acquisition of 15 pharmacies by the Penta Group 
• Denmark - The Competition Authority has conducted an inspection to the electric car charging industry
• Portugal - The AdC adopted a non-opposition decision in concentration operation 3/2026 - Bial Portela / Ativos GSK
• Portugal - The AdC issued a decision of non-applicability to the merger 97/2025 - Selena / IGM
• Portugal - TH Ceres notifies the acquisition of exclusive control over Los Almendros
• Portugal - Cementos Molins notifies the acquisition of exclusive control over Secil
• Romania - The Competition Council launched an unannounced inspection at the headquarter of CFR and Electricare CFR (possible abuse of dominant position)
• Spain - The CNMC approves, with commitments, Oximesa’s acquisition of Esteve Teijin

STATE AID

• Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of the TFEU - Cases where the Commission raises no objections – SA.116325 & SA.118844
• Commission Decision (EU) 2026/241 of 14 July 2025 on state aid SA.21143 - Case C 41/08 (ex NN 35/08) implemented by Denmark concerning public service contracts between the Danish Ministry of Transport and Danske Statsbaner

TRADE & CUSTOMS

• Agenda for: Advisory Committee on the implementation of activities relating to the Community market access strategy - 18 February 2026
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/276 imposing a definitive anti-dumping duty and definitively collecting the provisional duty imposed on imports of certain prepared or preserved sweetcorn in kernels, originating in the People’s Republic of China
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/274 amending Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1981 imposing a definitive anti-dumping duty on imports of ceramic tableware and kitchenware originating in the People’s Republic of China following an expiry review pursuant to Article 11(2) of Regulation (EU) 2016/1036 of the European Parliament and of the Council, following a partial interim review pursuant to Article 11(3) of Regulation (EU) 2016/1036
• Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/307 of 29 January 2026 on the request for registration, pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2019/788 of the European Parliament and of the Council, of the European citizens’ initiative entitled Stop Funding Russia’s War: Phase Out Harmful and Useless Russian Imports into the EU
• EU Council and European Parliament could start negotiations on safeguard for steel on 27 February - See the European Parliament’s report and the EU Council’s position
• The French National Assembly rejects EU-US trade agreement

INTERNAL MARKET & INDUSTRY

• Agenda for: Working Party on Competitiveness & Growth (Industry) - 09 February 2026
• Information and Communication System for Market Surveillance – details and functionalities of the Forced Labour Module - Implementing regulation - Feedback period: 03 February 2026 - 03 March 2026
• Sweden, Finland, Netherlands and Baltic States argue that ‘European preference’ should not stand in way of regulatory simplification
• Alliance of Energy Intensive Industries: Joint Position Paper on the EU Electrification Action Plan - Cefic
• Energy Intensive Industries - Joint statement: Preventing irreversible Desindustrialisation: Europe must act now on and carbon cost - Cembureau
• Opinion on the implementation of European preference in the Industrial Accelerator Act, by the French National Industry Council
• European Commission sued over landmark lithium project in Portugal - ‘Strategic’ status of Barroso mine challenged by environmental campaigners - Financial Times

CHEMICALS

• Summary of European Commission Decisions on authorisations for the placing on the market for the use and/or for use of substances listed in Annex XIV to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the REACH

EMPLOYMENT & SOCIAL POLICY

• Commission releases €3.7 million to support 836 dismissed workers in Austria and Belgium

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Agenda for: Working Party on International Environment Issues (WPIEI Desertification) - 11 February 2026
• Answer given by Ms Roswall to a MEP written question - Technical and operational concerns with the deforestation-linked import ban and its postponement

HEALTH, FOOD & PRODUCT SAFETY

• Agenda for: Members of the Antici Group (Simplification: Omnibus X: Food and feed safety) - 10 February 2026
  
• Procedure for listing high-risk plants, plant products and other objects - Delegated regulation - Feedback period: 04 February 2026 - 04 March 2026
• Organic imports – list of recognised control authorities and control bodies - Implementing regulation- Feedback period: 05 February 2026 - 05 March 2026
• Importation of plants and plant products – temporary derogation procedure (delegated act) - Delegated regulation - Feedback period: 04 February 2026 - 04 March 2026

DIGITAL & INFORMATION SOCIETY

• Commission preliminarily finds TikTok's addictive design in breach of the Digital Services Act
• Commission issues guidelines to protect media content on online platforms - Midday Express
• European Digital Identity Wallet – electronic attestations of attributes (update) - Implementing regulation - Feedback period: 05 February 2026 - 05 March 2026
• European Digital Identity Wallet – registration of wallet-relying parties (update) - Implementing regulation - Feedback period: 05 February 2026 - 05 March 2026
• European Digital Identity Wallet – standards and technical specifications (update) - Implementing regulation - Feedback period: 05 February 2026 - 05 March 2026

DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY

• Agenda for: Horizontal Working Party on Cyber Issues - 09 February 2026
• The EU Cybersecurity Act - Proposal for a regulation - Feedback period - 05 February 2026 - 02 April 2026
• EDPB Opinion on the draft decision of the Dutch Supervisory Authority regarding the Controller Binding Corporate Rules of the ABB Group (4/2026), of FrieslandCampina Group (3/2026), of AkzoNobel Group (2/2026) and of the Heineken Group (1/2026)

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY & JUSTICE

• Judgment of the Court of 05 February 2026 in Case C‑540/23 P, European Commission, Covington & Burling LLP, Bart Van Vooren, supported by: Kingdom of the Netherland
  Re: Appeal - Access to documents - Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 - Article 4(3), second subparagraph - Protection of the decision-making process - Refusal to disclose documents relating to the votes of the Member States concerning the amendment of Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 1925/2006 - Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 - Comitology - Decision 1999/468/EC - Regulatory procedure with scrutiny - Cross-appeal
• Judgment of the Court of 05 February 2026 in Case C‑718/24 [Aleb], NP Vs. Predsedatel na Darzhavna agentsia za bezhantsite,
  Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling - Area of freedom, security and justice - Asylum policy - Directive 2013/32/EU - Common procedures for granting and withdrawing international protection - Article 33 - Grounds of inadmissibility - Article 38 - Concept of ‘safe third country’ - Conditions for implementation - Connection between the applicant and the third country concerned - Criteria - Assessment methods - Article 46 - Right to an effective remedy - Article 47 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union
• Opinion of Advocate General Norkus of 05 February 2026 in Case C-606/24, XY and Others Vs. Ministerul Finanţelor
  Re: Reference for a preliminary ruling - Second subparagraph of Article 19(1) TEU Judicial independence - Tribunal previously established by law - National legislation requiring lower courts to request a preliminary ruling from the highest court – Cases concerning the establishment and/or payment of the salary entitlements or salary-related entitlements of staff paid from public funds - Obligation to request a preliminary ruling on points of law not previously dealt with by the highest court - Impact on the procedure under Article 267 TFEU

ECB, EURO & ECONOMY

• Results of the ECB Survey of Professional Forecasters for the first quarter of 2026
• Speech by ECB's Piero Cipollone: “The digital euro: strengthening Europe’s payments ecosystem”
• Main findings from the ECB’s recent contacts with non-financial companies - Economic Bulletin Issue 1
• ECB's Christine Lagarde, Luis de Guindos: Monetary policy decisions and statement (with Q&A) - Financial Times
• Bringing euros to a weaponised currency fight - In monetary matters, the EU must live up to the current geopolitical moment - Financial Times

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Jordan: Jordan-EU Security and Defence Dialogue
• EU-Armenia: Joint Press Release on the 3rd Political and Security Dialogue
• EU allocates over €123 million in humanitarian aid for Latin America and Caribbean in 2026
• EU and India launch talks on association to Europe's multi-billion research programme - Midday Express

EU/UKRAINE

• Bridge to Europe: Ukraine discusses its Tax Euro-Integration path with the EU and Member States
• European integration and reform progress: EU4PFM and Partners reviewed 2025 cooperation results